DISNEY WORLD'S WINE & DINE HALF MARATHON

Mickey and Minnie Mouse with Bob and Janet before the 5K race

If either of us had to suffer with excruciating pain throughout the entire Wine & Dine half marathon, all 13.1 miles of it, I’m glad it was me and not my wife. She experiences enough discomfort with her upper back during her day by day living.

Never in my entire life have I experienced such pain and discomfort as I did during this past Saturday night’s Disney World Wine & Dine Half Marathon.

The annual event, which coincides with Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, took place in Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida. We participated in the event last year with relative ease. But this year, at least for me, the half marathon distance was a bear. That’s bear as in barely able to finish!

Prior to the evening’s half marathon, my wife and I also participated in Disney World’s Halloween 5K. The shorter-distance event started at 7 a.m. and the longer of the two began at 10 p.m.

5K finisher medals

The 5K event, which was advertised as a fun run, took us through most of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and then back out to the butterfly parking lot where the race began.

It was indeed a fun run, with much of the fun preceding the actual race.

Disney sure knows how to pick DJ’s, because the guy that entertained us for an hour prior to the start of the run was fabulous. The music was good and his antics were very entertaining.

And to kick off the morning event, immediately after getting off the shuttle bus we had our picture taken with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Our net time for the 5K was 45:43, a 14:36 pace. Not bad for only walking!

In between races, knowing that my knees would be an issue that evening, we basically stayed in our room at Disney’s All Star Sports Resort. We did manage to walk to the food court for lunch and dinner, but the rest of the day was spent in front of our room’s TV watching college football.

Knowing that my knees were going to give me all kinds of fits during the half marathon, I should have used my noggin and dropped out before the race began. But pride and stupidity kept me in the game. It was more like stupidity than pride!

Lorie S, Janet and Bob in corral C

We did, however, get to meet up with one of our daily mile friends in corral C, Lorie S. from Orlando. We immediately learned that she is even lovelier than we anticipated.

If ever there was a foot race that I wanted to drop out of during the actual event, the Wine & Dine half marathon was it.  Sure, I've been beyond tired in many past events, especially the Goofy Challenges. But this was not a matter of being tired or exhausted. I can best describe what I experienced as mild discomfort in the beginning, turning into an indescribable, debilitating agony well before the half way point.

Beginning at around mile four, I began looking for a first aid station that could possibly transport me to the finish line outside Epcot. I spotted many first aid tents but never saw any type of related transportation. That alone kept me in the race.

Maintaining a walk pace that kept us just ahead of the sweep bus, we finished with an embarrassing time of 3:35:36.

After crossing the finish line and then receiving our individual finishers medals, I plopped myself down in one of the wheel chairs that Disney had placed along the finish line fence. I didn’t think I could walk another step. Correction, I knew I couldn’t walk another step. Both knees had seized up to the point of me not being able to bend them.

Picture taken with Minnie and Mickey just short of the finish line.

A friendly Disney employee then wheeled me to a point just short of where the cold beer coolers were located – and you can bet that, despite the excruciating pain, I retrieved my free beer and Janet’s beer as well.

Unable to attend the after-race party in Epcot, we then took the tram and the shuttle bus back to our room. It was there that I swore that I would never again attempt another half or full marathon.

Eight days from now, I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon to see if I’m a candidate for the series of three knee injections. The injections are advertised to lubricate the knees.  If I am a candidate and if the injections work, I may renege on my promise to never again run or walk marathons or half marathons again.

I’m a stubborn old fool that won’t go down without a fight!

IN CLOSING:  Tuesday, three days after walking the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, complaining most of the way, I did several upper and lower body weight machines in our local fitness center. Ten minutes into my workout, I watched a rather attractive young lady enter the gym using aluminum crutches. Each small step was a struggle!  After taking several minutes to walk 20 feet to the nearest machine, she dropped her crutches, lifted her stricken body onto the leg machine, and then enthusiastically pushed with all her might just to get in four reps. She obviously has some sort of muscular disease! The victorious smile that came across her face put me in tears – and made me ashamed for complaining about having a hard time walking a half marathon this past Saturday evening in Disney World. I am such a jerk!